Friday, April 21, 2023

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan

 




Excellent story about a group of friends, how they support and help each other by joining forces. Working together they can achieve great things. Focusing on one main family and the father and daughter from the Vicarage, it's the story of a small village and town where the people came together during the war. One woman comes back from London where she was a famous and successful fashion designer, lending her skills to the local sewing group. When the vicar's daughter is engaged to be married, she gets out her mother's wedding dress from the attic, bringing it to the group for intense mending, and learning more of its history as the story goes along. She then decides to lend it to anyone in the group to wear for their wedding and the idea expands from there until they have many donations of wedding dresses and brides waiting to borrow them. The lack of fabric makes it necessary to make clothes with less or mend and rework existing clothes. The English government had very strict guidelines for it.

My Grandmother was a master at reworking clothes. She worked at church rummage sales, bringing home clothes and remaking them into what she liked. She had a great eye for it and did beautiful work. I inherited many of her creative talents, but never remade clothes. I find it fascinating and am thinking about trying it out now that I'm retired and on a budget.

I really got lost in this and hated to see it end. Romance, warm hearts, misunderstandings and people reflecting on their lives and who they are as a person. Because of the war women stepped up to fill jobs that they never would have had otherwise. They learned new skills and excelled in ways that would not have been allowed before. Loved this story, it's beautifully told. 

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
#NetGalley #TheWeddingDressSewingCircle #JenniferRyan #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout  #FiveStarNovel #RandomHouse

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Wednesday, April 19, 2023

The Castle Keepers by Aimie K. Runyan; J'nell Ciesielski; Rachel McMillan

 



"Leedswick Castle has housed the Alnwick family in the English countryside for generations, despite a family curse determined to destroy their legacy and erase them from history."

Three generations of a family in a castle in Northumberland. The male heirs bring in entirely different women to the castle. Each such uniquely different relationships but all responsible for the castle through the years, which is in different states of repair and upkeep.  Each generation going through unique personal circumstances. Interesting, intriguing book. 

I received this book free from the authors, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
#NetGalley #TheCastleKeepers #AimieKRunyan #JnellCiesielski #RachelMcMillan #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout  #FiveStarNovel #HarperMuse

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Monday, April 17, 2023

A Summer at Sagamore by Lisa M. Prysock


Very good read, would make an excellent summer book. Such likable characters, wealthy but down to earth people with clothes beautifully described. Who wouldn't like a girl who reads Grace Livingston Hill? I once camped on an island near Sagamore, it's a very beautiful area. Lots of piney beauty and fresh air. A mystery threads through the rocky and sigh-able romance and Christian wisdom, life lessons.  

I received this book free from the author, publisher and CelebrateLit book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#ASummerAtSagamore #LisaMPrysock #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarNovel #CelebrateLit


About the Book


Book: A Summer at Sagamore

Author: Lisa M. Prysock

Genre: Historical Christian Romance

Release date: March 14, 2023

Can summer love survive amid mystery and mayhem?

When Abigail Greenwood and her cousins settle in for their annual summer retreat at the stunning and impressive Sagamore Resort in the Adirondacks,  all she wants is to spend as much time as possible plunking out stories on her typewriter. But when her cousins insist she join them in the tradition of choosing a beau to adore from a distance during their stay, she reluctantly plays along, setting her sights on a mysteriously quiet and aloof guest. What started as harmless fun soon changes as Abby finds herself captivated by debonair—and handsome—Jackson Gable. Who is he, and why does his arrogant amused smile exasperate her so much?

When a series of events causing mayhem and mischief begin to occur at Sagamore, journalist Jackson Gable is determined to get to the bottom of it, since his father is an investor of the resort. Jack has a nose for mysteries, but he may have to use his recently earned law degree and some of his posh family connections to sleuth out the culprit. Are the events connected? Why are they happening? And why can’t he get the beautiful Abby off his mind?
 

Click here to get your copy! 

About the Author


Lisa M. Prysock is a USA Today Bestselling Author who writes both Christian Historical Romance and Contemporary Christian Romance books—”Romance with a Dash of Food, Fashion, Faith, & Fun.” She writes both traditionally and indie published novels.

Kentucky inspires her writing and is home. Happily married to her husband of more than 24 years, she homeschooled two of their five children, now grown. When she isn’t writing, she likes to cross stitch, crochet, sew, scrapbook, read, swim, dance, take walks, travel, explore historical homes, garden, cook for her family, learn to play the piano and violin, and read great books.

 

More from Lisa

Behind the scenes at A Summer at Sagamore

When a dear writing friend approached me about writing a contribution for Romance at the Gilded Age Resorts, my heart leapt. The Gilded Age is my favorite time to write. Ask me to write anything from 1870 to 1910, and I’m hooked. I love the way traditions are colliding with progress and changing the world in this era.

 

An exciting time for women, I knew the heroine, Abigail, would be a writer, enthralled with her new, clunky, heavy manual typewriter. Independent, set to inherit her grandmother’s wealth, she would not be looking for romance. I wanted Abby’s grandmother, cousin, and sister to give us plenty of humor and fun along the way. Meanwhile, Abby, would portray a young woman on the brink of writing about her faith, inspired by a few pioneer writers and a previous experience to join the endeavor to pave the way for others to do the same.

 

Along comes our hero, Jackson. Jack has this Clark Gable kind of vibe, only younger, more handsome. He has strong faith, but it’s quiet, stifled by his position in society. Abby brings out the best in him. I loved watching their romance blossom and their trust in God grow amid the mystery of all the happenings at the Sagamore. More themes came out of the book than I expected. I can’t wait to share it with you.

Blog Stops

Giveaway



To celebrate her tour, Lisa is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2566e/a-summer-at-sagamore-celebration-tour-giveaway


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Tuesday, April 11, 2023

The Beekeeper’s War by Deborah Carr

 




I was a little disappointed that beekeeping wasn't a big feature in the story but fell in love with Pru and Jack right away, as well as their friends. An intricate inter-twinning of people who are forced to live different lives when WW1 was going on. A time when my Grandparents were alive. They were precious to me, so it's nice to see how others lived at that time. Pru was a nurse, working in a mansion that had been converted into a hospital. She was friends with another nurse, who fell for a patient who was the son of the owners of the mansion. Then entered Jack, the handsome American who had saved lives, stopping to see his best friend. Get caught up in the romance and heart wrenching pain of the war, and how people coped. It's also interesting to meet Emma and Sam, children of the friends, at the beginning of WW2 and how that affected them all. Excellent read, hard to put down, full of love.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
#NetGalley #TheBeekeepersWar #DeborahCarr #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarNovel #HarperCollins

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Line by Line by Jennifer Delamere

 



London, England 1881
The Telegraph was an important tool of business, opening up lines of communication that were impossible before. Businesses quickly took advantage of it to give them a competitive edge. Morse code was easy as long as you could memorize, listen and combine it correctly. Since Morse code was widely becoming known, they had to develop their own code words so that anyone who intercepted and listened in wouldn't know the message. Women were as good as men with this and entered the workplaces as telegraphers, alongside men. We all know what happens when you put men and women together in the same place all day. Lots of possibilities. Love issues and theft of information among them. When Alice comes into the office, she has a lot of experience, intelligence, and is highly efficient at her job. The guy who was already there was a slump but was related by marriage. Douglas was an intelligent and hard-working guy who had advanced himself from a poor life, becoming invaluable to the owner. Into this mix comes jealousy, social snubbing, social climbing, subterfuge moral code of the day and love. Mixed with a little humor to make it interesting. This is one of those fabulous authors who makes you forget the people aren't real. I found myself praying for them more than once. Excellent read that you don't want to see end. 

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
#NetGalley #LineByLine #JenniferDelamere #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarNovel #BethanyHouse

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The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck

 



I'm not sure how I got into reading this, as I usually only read historical books. But start reading I did, and I was hooked. Lost sleep nights when I couldn't put it down. Interesting story of five people who came together by receiving an invitation from an unknown source. Five people in the New York City life and felt comfortable on Fifth Avenue for one reason or another. They met once a week, and became friends. Each had a deep secret that pulled out gradually. One was new to Jesus and the Christian faith, but she spread her faith and profession to the others. As the story progresses, they work out their own problems and help the others with theirs. Friends of the best kind. Excellent read. 

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
#NetGalley #TheFifthAvenueStorySociety #RachelHauck #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarNovel

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The Painted Castle by Kristy Cambron

 



Growing up in an Irish family, I've been aware of the upheaval in Ireland since I was young. I do know firsthand the qualities of the Irish strength, sticking to a purpose that you believe in, and loving a good fight when you know you're right. The Irish are strong in their heritage as well. This story illustrates that beautifully, expertly and smoothly - woven from three different time frames. It takes you from the 1700s to early 1900s to present. It shows the reality of war and the people who live during it. The English "owned " Ireland for many years. The present time frame shows how not all battles are in history, and the vulnerable. And strength and resilience. Excellent read.
I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
#NetGalley #ThePaintedCastle #KristyCambron #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarNovel

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